The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, widely known as Ithra, is hosting the annual Tanween festival.
Taking place from November 17 to 22, this festival is a vital cultural initiative and celebration, dedicated to fostering creativity, innovation, and design thinking. As one of the largest celebrations platforms of its kind, Tanween draws an international community of artists, designers, and thought leaders to participate in a dynamic schedule of events.
Tanween Activities & Theme for 2025
Organised around a unique theme each year, the festival features large-scale immersive exhibitions, interactive workshops, and high-level talks, all aimed at inspiring the local Saudi community and facilitating meaningful global cultural exchange in line with the ambitious goals of Vision 2030. This year’s theme, “Design the Unspoken,” invites the design community to examine unmet needs, hidden behaviours, and emerging social trends; highlighting how design can help in preparing us for change and sparking innovation.
The annual GradShow also returns this year with 54 projects from 26 universities across 14 countries. The projects cover architecture, product design, visual communication, interior design, and fashion. This year’s international lineup, including Saudi Arabia, and the GCC region, the United States, and South Korea, offers a wide view of new creative ideas and fresh approaches to design education.
This year, the Tanween Challenges focused more on social impact, with the theme “Design for the 90%.” Rather than aiming at niche or luxury markets, participants are asked to create solutions for communities that are often overlooked. Ninety designers are collaborating across four six-day sprints, with challenges including global impact, urban spaces, product design, and visual communication challenges.
Tanween brings together international voices and Saudi Arabia’s creative community. The 2025 edition of the Tanween event includes eight exhibitions, the Tanween Majlis with more than 20 speakers, a selection of lectures and intimate discussion sessions with industry experts, and numerous workshops and walk-in activities. This year's event also sees the return of the Tanween Design Market.
Bridging global perspectives and local culture
The exhibition program showcases bold and experimental work.
Highlights of the event include Shared Oasis: Design That Listens, co-curated with Isola, and Terminal G, a joint installation with carpet specialists Iwan Maktabi, designed by Saudi group BrickLab. Other exhibits include Habitat Unspoken by Rizo Masr, which explores risograph printing and zine culture; and Designed in Saudi, presented by the Architecture and Design Commission.
The Lab at Ithra features research focused on materials, while Baseqat: The Palm Tree Exhibition explores both traditional and modern palm weaving. Ongoing shows at the Ithra Museum offer even more for visitors to discover.
Ithra is also running a guided tour that takes visitors around Khobar to explore key architectural landmarks that highlight the city’s cultural and creative identity. The tour starts at Ithra, moves through different neighbourhoods by bus, and includes stops at the winning pieces from the Al Fozan “Mujasam Watan” competition.
I joined the tour myself, and even though I’ve lived in Khobar my whole life, it made me notice parts of the city I’d never really paid attention to before. It felt like seeing it with new eyes.
Tanween 2025, from November 17 - 22, 2025
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra
8386 Ring Rd, Gharb Al Dhahran, Dhahran 34461
